Here is their final moment as catechumens, when the bishop (or his delegate) speaks to the newcomers and invites them to enroll their names.Note again, the focus of the text of these rites on Christ. Election is not about any personal accomplishment, except perhaps the openness to grace that has resulted in spiritual growth.

132. Then addressing the catechumens in the following or smiliar words, the celebrant advises them of their acceptance and asks them to declare their own intention.

And now, my dear catechumens, I address you. Your own godparents and teachers [and this entire community] have spoken in your favor. The Church in the name of Christ accepts their judgment and calls you to the Easter sacraments.

Since you have already heard the call of Christ, you must now exprss your response to that call clearly and in the presence of the whole Church.

Therefore, do you wish to enter fully into the life of the Church through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist?

Catechumens:

We do.

Celebrant:

Then offer your names for enrollment.

The candidates give their names, either by going with their godparents to the celebrant or while remaining in place, and the actual inscription of names may be carried out in various ways. The candidates may inscribe their names themselves or they may call out their names, which are inscribed by the godparents or the minister who presented the candidates (see RCIA 130).

With a typical Roman pragmatism, the rite gives options. I don’t know if the delegation of inscribing names is a concession to illiteracy. Significant numbers of catechumens may present a logistics obstacle, especially in a more cramped church.

As the enrollment is taking place, an appropriate song, for example, Psalm 16 or Psalm 33 with a refrain such as “Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own,” may be sung.

Music! I can’t imagine why such a psalm setting or other song wouldn’t be sung. The psalms are appropriate ones, and appear frequently in the Lectionary for Mass. Psalm 16 is sung, though with a different refrain, at the Easter Vigil after the Abraham and Isaac reading. Psalm 33 is a second option to follow the Creation narrative, but is also utilized on the second Sunday of Lent in cycle A. Either of these psalms is worth a lengthy post on its own. I would like to leave off with the thought that a setting of “Happy the People” with the verses of either Psalm 16 or 33 (or both!) would be a valuable addition to a parish’s musical repertoire, to be used at other times during the liturgical year. Really, one only needs a serviceable refrain and chant tones for the actual psalm verses.

One last option, which I’ve seen utilized in the large celebrations of election:

[If there are a great many candidates, the enrollment may simply consist in the presentation of a list of names to the celebrant, with such as: “These are the names of the candidates” or, when the bishop is celebrant and candidates from several parishes have been presented to him: “These are the names of the candidates from the parish of N.”]

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About catholicsensibility

Todd and his family live in Ames, Iowa. He serves a Catholic parish of both Iowa State students and town residents.

about Todd Flowerday

A Roman Catholic lay person, married (since 1996), with one adopted child (since 2001). I serve a parish in music ministry.

about John Donaghy

John is a lay missionary since 2007 with a parish in western Honduras. Before that he served in campus ministry and social justice ministry in Iowa. His ministry blog is http://hermanojuancito.blogspot.com

He also blogs reflections on the lectionary and saints/heroes/events of the date at http://walktheway.wordpress.com

He'll be a long-term contributor here analyzing the Latin American bishops' document from their 2007 Aparecida Conference.